What is an Exit Interview?

If you are leaving your job, your employer might have asked to conduct an exit interview with you. While most people are familiar with interview situations as part of the hiring process, an interview when leaving a job may not be as familiar. If you have never gone through such an interview process, you might be feeling a little uneasy. You might be wondering what such an interview entails, and how you should go about handling it as a professional.

Why Companies Conduct This Type of Interview

An interview at exit is generally conducted by your company’s human resources department, who is interested in finding out why you’re leaving. What most companies want to take away from such an interview are your professional, constructive comments about the work environment and ways they might be able to improve it in order to retain future employees and help them to be productive and satisfied. The HR manager or job supervisor in charge of such an interview will likely present you with some paperwork to complete. You are also likely to be given an opportunity to share some of your thoughts about what it was like to work for the company and why you are choosing to leave.

Ways to Make the Interview Experience Positive

Sometimes employees who are leaving a job are leaving to pursue opportunities that offer better pay or benefits, or because they feel they can use their skills better elsewhere. Sometimes, however, there may have been real problems or concerns that have compelled the decision to quit, including treatment that an employee thinks is unfair. If the job situation has been a particularly difficult one, then the exit interview may feel uncomfortable for both sides: the employer and the employee. The employer can act professionally by really seeking to listen to an employee’s concerns so that they can improve relationships with future workers. Showing the remaining members of the company that the company can actually handle criticism and use it constructively can be a good thing for everyone.

[What are the Laws About Employment Background Checks?]

If you are the employee who is quitting your job, realizing that a good interview at exit is something the company desires can help you to keep your cool, even if you are leaving a work situation you found disappointing or painful. An important thing to keep in mind is that you want to come across as a professional in the way you offer any criticisms or critique. This will not only provide you with necessary closure, it can actually be a help to the company you’re leaving. You’re also far more likely to receive a good reference from a company if you’ve handled yourself well in this interview. And if the time ever comes when you may actually want to work for them again, a positive interview as you leave will at least leave that as a possibility.

Quitting a job can be a challenging transition, even if you are leaving for a better job. A good exit interview, in which you try to answer an employer’s questions honestly but respectfully, can help both you and the company you’re leaving to learn more from your experience in working there.